Method of making car coupler yokes



March 7, 1939. J TEG'ARTY 2,149,640 METHOD OF MAKING CAR COUPLER YOKESFiled Feb; 23, 1955 A TTORNEY Patented Mar. 7, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE METHOD OF MAKING OAR COUPLER YOKES John B. Tegarty, Lakewood,Ohio Application February 23, 1935, Serial No. 7,687

11 Claims.

Heretofore railway car coupler yokes have been made of castings,preferably of steel having such characteristics as most nearly meet theexacting requirements of the usage to which such coupler yokes aresubjected. Such cast coupler yokes have been an advance in the art butthey are subject to frequent breakage and are expensive compared toformer types.

Previous methods included the forging or casting of the coupler head andthe riveting to the shank of the head of a large thick strap of steel,or wrought iron, to form the yoke. Such riveting however, did not allowthe modern pivoting or swinging movement between the coupler and itsyoke. The severe usage resulted in requiring frequent renewal of theyoke rivets, and in fact this is still a common matter of so-calledrunning repairs in railway practice. The above are illustrative ofprevious difiioulties which it is intended my present invention shalleliminate.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple, very durableconstruction which shall be less costly to manufacture, and which willmeet all of the modern requirements of connection between the car andyoke and between the yoke and its coupler.

More specifically, an object of the invention is the provision of acombined coupler yoke strap member and yoke connection member forreceiving the coupler shank and its key, or like connecting devices,these members being previously formed and then welded together.

In carrying out my invention I prefer to use a rolled steel strip ofsuitable width and thickness bent into a U-shape to form the loop of thecoupler yoke and having high tensile strength, and then by forging, orlike process, provide head members therefor, of dense tough material,acting to connect the ends of the strip, and being secured thereto bywelding.

In accomplishing these purposes I attain other objects and advantageswhich will be apparent in the following description which relates to thedrawing. It is to be understood that various modifications and changesmay be made in carrying out my invention without departing from thespirit thereof.

The essential characteristics of my new coupler yoke construction andmethod of making the same are summarized in the claims.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of my improved form of coupler yoke.

Figs. 2 to 7 inclusive show modifications of the method of attaching orinterfitting and welding the connector members of the yoke to the loopthereof.

Referring first to Fig. 1, the coupler shown comprises a strap member Iin the form of a rolled strip (in practice approximately an inch .5;thick, four or more inches wide), bent into the form. of a loop withvertical or cross member 2, and shown as having its forwardends bentinwardly or converging as at 4.

6 and 1 illustrate connector or head members 10 preferably forged,although they may be otherwise shaped or of cast steel or like materialof a nature capable of being welded to rolled steel. Each of thesemembers extends across the open ends and at the sides of the strap l andhas in- 15 wardly projecting flanges at 8 of a width such as to coincidewith the thickness of the strap I'. These members are placed in theposition shown and are welded along the seams Ill to the sides of theportions 4 of the ends of the strap.

The welding may be accomplished by any of several methods to provide anefiective union between the edges of the strip member and flanges 8, asfor example, by the use of the atomic are or the carbon pencil electrodetype of the revolving arc. In many instances this weld may beeconomically extended throughout the full thickness of the strap edgesand flanges 8.

The members '8 and 1 in Fig. 1 are substantial duplicates and are shownas provided with the 30v usual coupler key slots l2 which are preferablysurrounded by built up flanges M to increase the depth of the slot andthe width of the surface engaging the coupler key. The series of crossesappearing on the seams l0 are intended to be a conventional indicationof welding and are used throughout theother views for convenientlocation of the welded connection between the strap of the yoke and thekey or head members thereof.

It will be seen that the members 6 and I may be varied in shape and sizeand the connection by the key openings or slots variously located, asmay be required for individual designs and in variations of the standardpractice. Having 5 forged, or otherwise formed, such members as shown at6 and 1, (these members in this instance may be duplicates, as norequirement of rights and lefts occurs) to complete the yoke it is onlynecessary to select the desired width and thickness of the strap, firstbent intermediately to make the cross member and the forward reaches 3,and then bent inwardly at the ends 4 to accommodate and correspond tothe angle of the flanges 8, and then perform the welding operation toeffectually unit the flanges along the welds indicated at Ill.

It is customarily required to increase the thickness and correspondinglythe strength of the rear portion at the cross member 2. A filler memberindicated at l4 may be fitted therein and seam or spot welded inposition. In this instance it is not necessary to weld over the entiremeeting surfaces. The members [5 may be short sections of strips sorolled as to have a radius at it, that is a curved edge at either sidethereof, to fit the curve of the strap I at either end of the crossmember 2, and then the members are cut transversely of the direction ofrollmg.

In the slight modification shown in Fig. 2 the ends of the yoke strapare shown wider than the forward reaches 3, as indicated at 20. The yokeheadmembers 26 and 21 are formed similar to those of Fig. 1, except thatthe flanges 8 are omitted. The necessary spacing between the members 26and 2! being provided by the greater width of the portion 26, the weldhowever is thoroughly eifected between the edges of the members 2E andthe inner faces of the members 26 and 27 as at), as before.

In Fig. 3 is shown a slight modification in which the ends of the strapreaches 3 are still Wider as indicated at 30, and the yoke head members36 and 31 may be thus reduced in size somewhat, as these widenedportions 39' are fitted over the upper and lower edges of the members 36and. 37. These edges'are then eifectively Welded to the inner faces ofthe members 38 as indicated at 32. The forged, or otherwise formed head,members in Figs. 2 and 3, it will benoted, are otherwise similar to theforged members forming the yoke head as described in connection withFig. 1 and except for modifications, do appear similar to those in Figs.4, 5, 6 and 7, particularly in that of the provision of the coupler keyslots l2 and raised or built up flanges M.

In Figs. 4 and 5 are shown interlocking types, that is, the ends of thestrap forming the loop of the yoke are interlocked with the coupler headmembers by oifset shoulders. v In Fig. 4 the forward reaches of thestraps are wider than remaining portions, being first enlarged asindicated at 45 with outwardly projecting T-head members 52. 40 arefitted between the inner faces of thehead members 46 and i! and theprojecting portions 42 are fitted into. recesses formed in the upper andlower edges of the head members, and the head members are welded to thestrip along the heating surfaces as indicated by the small ms along themain surfaces.

The form in Fig. 5 shows the use of flanges on the head members 56 and57 but theends of the strap forming the yoke loop are no wider than thereaches 3.. This has a slight advantagein that the rolled strip of theloop can be made the same width and thus merely cut from the same strap,in the form shown in Fig. l. The strap however has recesses cut into it,in which fit the projections 52 formed on the flanges 58 integral withthe forged head members, which flanges also extend forwardly at 58similar to the flanges 8 of Fig. 1. Inthis case it is desirable to weldthe transverse meeting shoulders at -55, as well as at the longitudinalmeeting edges The widened portions ness and to provide for a couplingkey slot at right angles to the key .slot 12. This form of coupler yokeis similar to one now used, and made entirely of cast steel, and whichprovides for the standard coupler key being used in a vertical position.In this instance a slightly smaller vertical key is used alternatelywith the horizontal key. The head members may be forged or otherwiseformed and the effect may be substantially the same as those in Fig. 1,but the forward reaches 3 of the strips l3 are substantially par allelbetween the heads as indicated at 60, and on the inner sides are weldedblocks 52, while the flanges of the head members indicated at 8 arewelded both to each block 62 and the edges of the strip 3. Through theblock 62 and outer portion of the strap reaches 3 are formed thevertical coupler key slots such as indicated at 65.

In Fig. 7 I have shown the underside of the head of Fig. -6, and to theblock 62 are welded blocks 68 and 69., These are provided with openingsfor a longitudinal key locking pin and for transverse pins in each blockfor locking the locking pin.

From the foregoing description it will be seen w that I have provided amethod and construction whereby car coupler yokes may be commerciallyfacture of 'car coupler yokes, which inventions were originallydisclosed in this case: Applica- 1 tions Serial Nos. 141,661 and141,662, both filed May 10, 1937. 7

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A method of making car coupler yokes comprising the bending of astrip of steel having a substantially uniform cross section to form a U-shaped body portion having forwardly directed arms spaced and extendingparallel to each other, and placing a' pair of substantially duplicatehead members each having aflat surface and flanges formed along oppositeedges which project perpendicular to the flat surface, to the edges ofthe arms adjacent their ends and welding along said edges and saidflanges, said welding being adapted to receive the full draw bar load ofthe said coupler yoke.

2. A method of making car coupler yokes comprising bending of a strip ofsteel substantially at the center to form a portion at right angles to Yhead members being so welded at each side along the edges of the stripand each of them having an oblong opening substantially parallel withthe sides of the coupler yoke and having forged reinforced rib portionsdefining the forward portion ofsaid openings, the weld receiving thefull draw bar load between the edges of the strip and the head members.

. 3. A method of making car coupler yokes comprising bending a strip ofsteel of uniform cross section substantially midway between the ends toform a portion at right angles to two forwardly extending parallelportions which terminate in slightly converging portions adjacent theforward ends, the strip having parallel edges throughout its length, andforming by forging operation a pair of duplicate head members having onesurface thereof substantially fiat, and having the edges thereoftapering to conform with the converging portion, said head members beingbutt welded at the flat surfaces to the edges of the converging portionsof the strip, so that the weld receives the entire draw bar load.

4. A method of making car coupler yokes comprising bending a strip ofsteel of uniform cross section substantially midway between the ends toform a portion at right angles to two forwardly extending parallelportions and terminating in slightly converging portions at the forwardends, the strip having parallel sides throughout its length, and formingby forging operation a pair of duplicate head members of generallyV-shaped exterior, having cross web flange portions adapted to registerwith and be welded to the edges of the strip at the location of theconverging portions, the inner faces of said head members being spacedapart a distance greater than the width of said strip, the weld beingadapted to receive the entire draw bar load.

5. A method of making car coupler yokes comprising bending of a strip ofthick flat steel substantially at the mid-point to form a portion atright angles to two forwardly extending parallel portions and directingthem slightly inwardly at their forward ends, the strip having parallelsides, and forming by forging operation two head members, of generallyV-shaped exterior and having heavy cross web flange portions adapted toregister with and fit againstthe vertical edges of the inwardly directedforward end portions of the strip, and then welding said edges to thestrip, so that the full draw bar load is transmitted from the strip tothe head members through the weld, one of said head members being sowelded at each side along the edges of the strip and each of them havingan oblong opening parallel generally with the sides of the coupler yoke,and having forged reinforced rib portions defining the forward portionsof said openings.

6. A method of making a car coupler yoke comprising providing a U-shapedmetal body member having forwardly directed spaced arms and securing ahead member to the forward end portions of said arms by juxtaposingcertain edge surface portions of one of the members with certain facesurface portions of the other of said members, and welding thejuxtaposed surface portions together in a manner such that the weldreceives the full draw bar load of the yoke.

7. A method of making a car coupler yoke comprising providing a U-shapedmetal body member having forwardly directed spaced arms and securing ahead member to the forward end portions of said arms by juxtaposingcertain face surface areas of one member with end surface areas of theother, and welding the juxtaposed surface areas together in a mannersuch that the weld receives the full draw bar load of the yoke.

8. A method of making a car coupler yoke comprising providing a U-shapedmetal body portionhaving forwardly directed spaced arms, placing a pairof substantially duplicate head members, each head member having a fiatface surface, at opposite edges of said arms with the flat face surfacesthereof abutting the edges of the arms adjacent the forward end portionsof the arms, and butt welding the edges of the arms to the fiat facesurfaces of the head members.

9. A method of making a car coupler yoke comprising providing a U-shapedmetal body portion having forwardly directed spaced arms, placing a pairof substantially duplicate head members between the forward end portionsof the arms with the edges of the head members abutting the inwardlyexposed face surfaces of the arms, and welding the edges and said facesurfaces together in a manner such that the weld receives the fulldraw-bar load of the yoke.

10. A method of making a car coupler yoke comprising bending a strip ofsteel to provide a U-shaped body portion having forwardly directedspaced arms, placing a pair of substantially duplicate head members withportions thereof abutting the edges of the forward end portions of thearms, welding a block to a face of at least one of the arms at theforward end portion to increase the thickness thereof, and welding thehead members to both the edges of the arms and to the edges of theblock.

11. A method of making a car coupler yoke comprising providing aU-shaped metal body portion having forwardly directed spaced arms,providing aligned passages in said arms extending normal to the widththereof for receiving a coupling key, welding duplicate head members tosaid arms at the forward end portions thereof, and providing in saidhead portions aligned passages at right angles to the first passages forreceiving a coupling key.

JOHN B. TEGARTY.

